I'm confused by all the chatter about aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. Which of these should I have at home?

Nov 4, 2011

David, Stamford, CT asked:

I'm confused by all the chatter about aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. Which of these should I have at home?

Answer:

One drug doesn't do it all (actually, Vicodin does, but we're talking about nonaddictive over-the-counter painkillers). So your best bet is to stock both acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and ibuprofen (such as Advil). Acetaminophen will relieve pain and reduce fever, while a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen will block the biochemicals that promote inflammation and swelling. "For generalized aches and fevers, take acetaminophen because it's relatively gentle on your body," says Mary Lynn McPherson, Pharm.D., a professor at the University of Maryland school of pharmacy. "But for pain that has an inflammatory component, such as pain from a sprained ankle, an NSAID is better." Ibuprofen tends to be shorter-acting, so for chronic pain that lasts 12 hours or longer, go with the NSAID naproxen (such as Aleve). Of course, if you have any heart-attack risk factors, keep a bottle of regular-strength aspirin around, too. At the first signs of a heart attack--breathing difficulty and/or chest pain that spreads to your left arm or your jaw, for example--chew one aspirin for 30 seconds and then swallow it. Doing this could reduce blood clotting by 50 percent.

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